Slimmer Mayfield starting for Cats

MANHATTAN -- Kenneth Mayfield's weight watcher's program consisted of an alarm clock, a treadmill and a daily appointment with offensive line coach Charlie Dickey.

"That was me," Mayfield said. "He was my training partner for a while."

Mayfield made his first start at right guard Saturday for Kansas State. His climb to the top of the depth chart was partly the result of injuries, but also the result of his weight-loss routine.

"That's something I've been working on," Mayfield said. "That's been one of the biggest things that held me back from getting on the field. I've been able to work and lose a few pounds. It's turned out really well for me."

Mayfield said he is down to 316 pounds after weighing as much as 340. He was referenced (anonymously) by coach Bill Snyder during fall drills for his morning appointments with Dickey, the Wildcats' first-year line coach.

"One of the youngsters in the program is vastly overweight," Snyder said at the time. "Charlie, I see him come in here at six o'clock every morning. He goes downstairs, and he and that youngster get on the treadmill equipment and go to work."

Dickey, who appears well on his way to his goal of losing 100 pounds, has since bowed out of the morning meetings to focus on his coaching responsibilities.

"He left me," Mayfield said with a smile. "He's been having to do a little bit of game planning. But I still go in there now just to get some more work in and keep it going."

The slimmed-down Mayfield stepped in after Colten Freeze got hurt on the first series against Louisiana. He made his first start a week later against UCLA and earned positive reviews from his fellow linemen.

"He did a good job," left tackle Nick Stringer said. "He got called on at Louisiana when Colten went down. He stepped up. The goal is if some guy goes down not to notice he's gone."

The Wildcats have had plenty of practice when it comes to replacing starters. Freeze moved into the lineup after an injury to Trevor Viers, who earned his own starting spot when Brock Unruh went down for the season.

Despite the makeshift lineup, Snyder was pleased with the line's performance against UCLA.

"I thought our offensive line really held their own, even though the numbers don't always indicate that," Snyder said. "For 3 1/2 quarters, I thought our offensive line did a commendable job against a really dominant interior defensive line. I was proud of our offensive line in that respect."

K-State surrendered six sacks against UCLA, but Snyder said that number isn't totally indicative of the line's performance this season. K-State allowed only one sack in its first two games, and the line has paved the way for running back Daniel Thomas to average nearly 100 yards per game.

"I think our run-blocking has improved quite a bit from last year," Stringer said. "Guys are staying on blocks longer and getting more push at the point of attack."

Mayfield is happy to be part of that. He can thank his time on the treadmill for the opportunity.

"I just kept working hard, kept working at it," he said. "We had a few guys go down. The coaches always talk about stepping up. I just stepped into that role, and hopefully I'll be able to be a starter for the rest of the season."